A cold wind swept through her body. “No,” she whispered. “Nothing. What happened to her?”
“I can’t say more right now. Just keep your ears open, and let me know if you see anything suspicious, if you think of anything unusual.” He settled the hat back on his head and turned toward the door.
“Sheriff?”
“Yeah?” He faced her, squinting expectantly.
“I don’t know if this has anything to do with it, but there was a guy here the other night. My sister’s ex-boyfriend, Malcolm. He has a violent past, and he went to her house—formerly Bessie’s house. He threatened her. She was terrified.” The chill turned to icicles when she recalled what Scarlett had told her. Shown her. “And, it appears he was in the house before Scarlett even moved in. She found an earring that belonged to him.” Bessie had never even met Malcolm, why would he hurt her? Then again, why would anyone?
The sheriff nodded, interest lighting his brown eyes. “I’ll need his name, a description, anything you can tell me about him.”
“All I know is his first name, Malcolm. You might go next door and talk to my sister. She’ll be able to tell you more.”
“I’ll do that. Thanks, Darcy.” She opened the door for him, and he stepped out onto the porch. “You keep your doors locked now, you hear? Until we figure out what happened, no one is safe.”
****
Liz tucked the small silver key into Darcy’s palm. “I’m sorry it took a few days. I stuck it in my jewelry box and kept forgetting to bring it.”
“That’s okay, it’s not like I needed it.”
Liz peered closely at Darcy. “Is something wrong? You seem distracted. Is it because of She-Devil?”
“No. I just found out that Bessie…” She swallowed.
“Your neighbor who died? What about her?”
“The sheriff stopped by. He thinks she might have been murdered.”
Liz’s eyebrows lifted. “No way. You’re kidding me. How? Who?”
Darcy shrugged and started across the parking lot toward Chickasha Elementary. Liz fell in step beside her.
“He has no idea. I told him about Scarlett’s ex, Malcolm. His showing up at almost the same time seems a little too coincidental.” She didn’t mention the skull earring. The police might want that detail kept quiet.
“Yeah. The two of them showing up is kind of suspicious.”
Darcy’s steps faltered as she looked at Liz. “The two of them… You surely can’t think that Scarlett… For God’s sake, Liz. She’s my sister.”
“I know. I’m a crappy friend, and I’m sorry. But I care about you. I was just thinking about what happened to the girl at the mental hospital.”
Darcy flinched. She couldn’t criticize Liz for stating the obvious. It was no secret that people around Scarlett met with misfortune. Whether it was because of something Scarlett did, or because of the doll curse, or just plain old bad luck, Darcy may never know. Whatever the reason, she wouldn’t, couldn’t let herself believe Scarlett was to blame for that girl’s suicide. Or that she had anything to do with Bessie’s death.
Changing the subject, she said, “I had a great time at the lake. We’ll have to do that again soon. I really enjoyed spending time with you, Richard, and Cabin.”
“Don’t forget your darling sister.” Liz rolled her eyes.
So much for changing the subject.
“Are you sure you’re twins? Scarlett looks like she’s made by Mattel.”
Darcy laughed. “We’re twins. We used to look more alike. Now I feel like a driver’s license picture on the mantel next to a Glamour Shot.” Her own laughter sounded hollow to her ears. “I’m all right with it, though. With all of her emotional...setbacks, she deserves to be the prettier twin.”
Liz stopped walking and placed her hand on Darcy’s shoulder. “Hey. It’s not like that. You’re beautiful, okay?”
Darcy averted her eyes.
“Okay?” she repeated more firmly. “Gotta be pretty darn hot to land a hunk like Cabin Creighton, don’t you think?” Liz resumed her walk, squinting against the morning sun that danced through the red highlights in her curly hair. The apple embossed bag over her shoulder almost brushed her knees, and her skirt skimmed the pavement.
Darcy’s heart swelled with gratitude. She was blessed to have a friend like Liz. She held the door open for her, and they strode down the hall toward their rooms.
“Oh...I almost forgot...” Darcy said with a shrug, feigning disinterest. “Thanks to you and your big mouth, Cabin is cooking up some surprise for my birthday.”
Liz’s squeals synched with the first bell. Darcy laughed and greeted her gathering students at the doorway.
****
Cabin smiled at the small, tooth-challenged boy beside him in the elementary school hallway. “Hello, there, young man.”
The little boy stared, sticking his tongue through the hole in his grin. Cabin ruffled the boy’s hair on his way into the office.
The secretary glanced up as Cabin entered. “Be right with you.” She applied a bandage to the scraped elbow in front of her. “Janie, this probably won’t stick for long, so here’s another for your pocket.” She handed the little girl an extra bandage, hugging her.
“What can I help you with, sir?” She leaned forward on her desk, seeming to size him up with her black-lined eyes.
“I wondered if you could direct me to Darcy Vaughan’s classroom?”
“I’m not supposed to let anyone into the classrooms while class is in session.” She gazed into his eyes. “Are they real?”
“Excuse me?” Cabin would be swiftly slapped for asking that same question in his line of work.
“Your eyes. Are they contacts?”
“No, they’re mine,” he answered, curbing the urge to chuckle. “Is it all right if I wait here until the bell rings—isn’t lunch starting in just a few minutes?”
“So...are you a parent?”
“Beg your pardon?” The woman sounded like a precocious first grader. Maybe the kids had rubbed off on her.
“Do you have a child in Ms. Vaughan’s classroom?”
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t understand the question. No, I’m here to take Dar—Ms. Vaughan, to lunch. I had a lull at the clinic, so I thought I’d surprise her.”
“Are you a doctor?” The woman straightened up in her chair, darting her eyes over him. “You’re not dressed like one.”
“I left my lab coat at work. I’m going to take a seat, if that’s okay.” He scanned the office, choosing the chair farthest from the secretary’s desk. It looked out of place—red, plastic, off on its own.
“Jenny Borden sat in that chair,” a little girl across the room loudly informed him as he sat down.
He smiled and nodded.
“Her mom just picked her up,” she explained, widening her eyes.
“Was she sick?” he asked, wondering if Jenny Borden contracted the stomach virus that was going around.
“No.” The little girl shook her head, her braids whipping. “She had head lice!”
He jumped from the chair, brushing off his clothing.
The secretary laughed. “It’s okay. I sprayed the chair.”
Cabin’s face warmed.
“Tell you what, since you seem like such a nice guy... Ms. Vaughan’s room is to the right, three doors down. Her name’s above it.” She lowered her smoky eyelid in a wink.
Thanking her, he walked down the hallway, stopping in front of Darcy’s classroom. He knocked firmly, mindful of the excited, clamoring voices filtering through the closed door. After waiting a moment, he turned the knob and stepped inside.
Darcy was on the floor with her students, reading a story as the children supplied sound effects. She blushed when she saw him, then dragged her eyes back to the page.
“Who’s that, Ms. Vaughan?” voices chimed, story forgotten. “Ms. Vaughan has a boyfriend! Ooooh... Ms. Vaughan is in loooove!”
“All right, that’s enough.” She turned a deepe
r shade of red. “Let’s get the classroom cleaned up, it’s almost lunchtime.” The children rolled up their mats and blankets before stuffing them into their personalized cubbyholes.
“What are you doing here?” She rose from the rug, dusting off her pants.
“Taking you to lunch. Are you surprised?”
“Yes, I’d say so.”
“Pleasantly?”
She gave him a wide smile. “Ecstatically.”
The bell rang and she stepped to the door, lining the children up behind her. “Boys and girls, I need for you to walk to the cafeteria with Ms. Bandy’s class. Have a good lunch.” She released her class into the hallway with Liz.
“So, how did you get into my classroom without being handcuffed and escorted from the building?” Darcy asked Cabin as they strode past the office.
“The secretary let me in.”
“Amelia Tangelero,” Darcy said, returning the secretary’s wave through the glass. “I bet she had no problem letting you through. Her license plate used to say, ‘SexySecy’ on it. The principal asked her to remove it because it was inappropriate for school.”
“Wow.” Cabin chuckled. “So, where would you like to go for lunch?”
“Hmmm. How about Fortunes, the Chinese restaurant. Have you been there?”
“One of my favorites.” He opened the passenger door of his truck, helping her into the cab before going around to his side. “What time do I need to get you back to school, little girl?” he teased.
“I have an hour. The kids go to the playground after they eat.”
Cabin checked the dashboard clock. “Buckle up. I know a shortcut.”
For some reason he found it hard to breathe with Darcy so close to him. He took his eyes off the road long enough to sneak a glance at her. What the hell was happening to him?
After he parked the truck, he stepped around to her door and opened it, not missing the pleased flush on her cheeks as she thanked him. Once inside the restaurant, they gave the server their drink orders, filled their plates at the buffet, then slid into chairs across from one another. Darcy blotted her lips after every forkful of food, causing Cabin to hide a grin. He got the feeling she was as nervous as he was.
In between bites, they talked about everything from sports, to their jobs, to what it was like for Darcy growing up with Scarlett. When the choice of topics dwindled, he said, “I heard a rumor that the police think your neighbor might have been murdered. Are you okay?”
Cabin could have cut out his own tongue when the light faded from her lovely eyes and she put the fork down next to her plate. Emotions played across her face before she finally nodded. “I’m okay, but I feel awful for her. Bessie was such a sweet old lady.” She wiped away a tear.
“I’m sure she was. I just hope, if she was actually murdered, they catch the guy soon. I worry about you being out there alone.”
She offered a half-smile. “Well, there’s Scarlett.”
“Right. Scarlett. Lots of protection there. Especially since her presence has brought a criminal practically to your doorstep. Do you think her ex could have harmed Bessie?”
“I entertained the idea, but decided Malcolm is nothing to worry about. He’s probably just trying to convince Scarlett to come back to him. He’s more than likely long gone by now.”
“Let’s hope so.” Cabin couldn’t imagine what he’d do to the guy if he laid a hand on Darcy…if he hurt her in any way.
He frowned at the unexpected thought. At what point had he become her protector? Or started wanting to be her hero?
“Let’s switch subjects. You know all about my childhood at the lake, my emotionally unstable twin sister, and my great-grandmother’s scrimshaw doll. Now I want to talk about you.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Tell me about your family. What are your parents like? Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
He put down his fork. “My parents have been married for forty years. I’m their one and only child, born late in life, their ‘miracle baby,’ if you will. My mother is a strong-willed, proud, lady of leisure, whose favorite pastime is doting over me. I suppose ‘controlling’ is the word I’d use to describe my father, although he would call it, ‘concerned.’ An outsider would never know it. He has an excellent bedside manner. They both love me and each other very much. Sometimes they just have a stifling way of showing it.”
“Your father must trust your abilities, allowing you to take over his practice.”
“I compensated him for it, but that doesn’t stop him from continually advising me on how I should operate it.”
“And you work at the Chickasha clinic as well?” she asked.
He recalled the sound of her laughter through the exam room door. “Yes, I’ve helped out there since I returned from Montana. Business is hit-and-miss at the office in Verden. Most people around the lake would rather drive into Chickasha for the full-service treatment. They can see the doctor, get prescriptions filled at the adjoining department store, and pick up a can of chicken soup while they wait.”
“Guilty as charged,” she said.
“What I would really like to do is open a clinic where pregnant teenagers could receive proper prenatal care and counseling. It’s important for girls to be educated about their pregnancies, and to have a healthy self-image. Eating disorders among pregnant teens is on the rise. I find that devastating.”
“Something like the pregnancy support center in Chickasha?”
“I’d like to work in conjunction with their facility. I’m writing a grant for assistance and hoping I meet the criteria.”
Darcy’s eyes softened. “Dr. Creighton, you really are special.”
He shrugged. “I just have a heart for these girls. Oklahoma’s teen-pregnancy rating is sixth in the nation according to Rylon Institute’s latest report. Sixth. There’s a real need in this area. I believe I can help.”
“There’s no doubt in my mind,” Darcy agreed.
“Now. Getting back to the subject of my parents. I know this is short notice, but I thought you might like to meet them this evening.”
Darcy swallowed her sweet tea. “Tonight?” she squeaked.
“Yes, tonight. Just for an hour or so. My dad called and said my mother is feeling a little slighted. I haven’t talked to her since Sunday, and she hates texting.” He smiled. “He asked if I would stop by for coffee this evening, and I thought you might want to come with me.”
“Oh, Cabin, I don’t know...” She shifted in her chair. “We’ve only known each other for a short while.”
His heart sank at her hesitation. “I’ll pick you up at seven,” he resolved, hoping to thwart an ensuing excuse. “It’s no big deal, only coffee. Although, I can’t promise there won’t be cake.”
She returned her gaze to his, stroking her throat lightly, stirring him. “Okay,” she sighed. “I just can’t resist those eyes.”
“I might just use that to my advantage someday.” A pang of guilt erased his smile as Samantha edged his mind. “Let’s get you back to school, before you get in trouble.” He paid the server, leaving a tip on the table.
“Sir, you forgot your fortune cookies.” The server followed them out of the restaurant, holding two cellophane wrapped crescents.
“Thank you.” Cabin took them and handed a cookie to Darcy. He drove her to the school, where they cracked them open in the parking lot.
“You go first,” Darcy urged, peeking into his palm.
“‘Your wildest dreams will soon come true.’” He raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know. My dreams can be pretty far-fetched.” He nudged her shoulder. “Your turn.”
She pulled the slip of paper from her broken cookie. “‘That which bonds the skin, binds the bones.’” She frowned. “Why does the writing look so strange?” She opened his palm, examining his fortune. “Yours is typed. Mine looks...handwritten or something.” She held the slip up to her window, the pen indentations clearly visible in the sunlight. “Weird.”
Cabin ran his finger over the unusual sepia calligraphy. “Maybe they ran out of fortunes and had to make some?” He handed the paper back to her.
“‘That which bonds the skin, binds the bones.’ What do you think that even means?”
“I think it means family bonds are the strongest,” he explained.
“Hmm...maybe it’s talking about the bond I shared with Gigi. That must be it.” She nodded, folding the fortune into her purse. “I’ll hang onto this one.”
“Thanks for letting me kidnap you for a while.” Cabin restrained his hands, his mouth, his being, and pecked Darcy’s cheek. “I’ll see you at seven.”
“Thank you for lunch.” She climbed from the cab to a chorus of childish voices echoing from the playground.
“Ooooh… Ms. Vaughan’s in loooove!”
****
That evening, Darcy stepped off the porch and jogged to Cabin’s pickup.
“You’re supposed to give me the chance to be a gentleman,” he protested. “I didn’t even have time to unbuckle my seatbelt.” He pointed to the lever resting against his deliciously snug blue jeans as Lucy greeted Darcy with nuzzles and licks, her big paws thrown over the seat.
“Maybe I was in a hurry to see you. So, where do your parents live?” She scratched Lucy’s ear as he took the first curve.
“An old refurbished farm home out in the country, south of Verden. It’s the house where I was raised.”
Excitement surged through her at the thought of seeing Cabin’s childhood home. As he drove, she watched the sun set through her window and asked him questions about his childhood, listening, almost jealously, to the woes of being an only child. To her it sounded like heaven.
“Well, here we are,” he said as they rolled to a stop in front of a ranch-style home sporting a wrap-around veranda. Beside the front door, a wooden porch-swing swayed lazily in the breeze.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” She eyed the property, amazed, taking in the perfect rows of colorful flowers, the neatly trimmed hedges and, to her disbelief, the white picket fence surrounding it all. “It’s exactly as I pictured the home of a country doctor, a southern ‘lady of leisure,’ and their darling only child,” she teased.
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